Not Applicable.
Not Applicable.
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a liquid two part cleaning composition and a bottle for dispensing the liquid two part cleaning composition.
2. Description of the Related Art
Two part cleaning systems are available in which an acidic component and a basic component are kept physically separated until use and are mixed upon use to create a foaming or effervescent cleaning mixture.
For example, PCT International Application WO 01/00765 describes an aqueous liquid detergent composition that is prepared and delivered from a dual-compartment container. The first compartment may contain a basic effervescent agent (e.g., sodium bicarbonate) and the second compartment may contain an acidic effervescent agent (e.g., citric acid) The composition may contain other adjunct cleaning materials such as surfactants, suds suppressors, dyes, perfumes, and hydrotropes.
WO 98/33880 describes a two part foaming drain cleaner in which one part may have an acid and another part may have a base.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,804,546 discloses a two component shower gel having an acidic component and an alkali component. The acidic component may comprise citric acid, a thickener and water. The alkali component may comprise sodium bicarbonate, an anionic surfactant, an amphoteric surfactant, and a non-ionic surfactant. The acid and the alkali components are charged into separate compartments within a flexible container. When the container is compressed the contents of both compartments are dispensed through a nozzle whereby a reaction between the acid and the bicarbonate occurs releasing carbon dioxide gas which in turn creates a foam.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,522,738 discloses a toilet bowl cleaner wherein a dry mixture of an acidic material (e.g., oxalic, citric, sulfamic, tartaric and glutaric acids), a basic material (e.g., mixtures of sodium carbonate and sodium bicarbonate) and a surfactant react with water to foam and clean the toilet bowl.
EP 0 733 097 B1 discloses a two part liquid cleaning composition that may be used to clean hard surfaces such as ceramic tile. The two part cleaner may include a composition A having a thickener, a metal complexing agent, hydrogen peroxide, disodium hydrogen citrate, a non-ionic surfactant and perfume; and composition B having a polymeric thickener, sodium hydroxide, non-ionic surfactant, cationic surfactant and a solvent.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,154,917 discloses a two component mouth rinse including a red liquid and a blue liquid that are filled into the compartments of the two compartment bottle. The red (basic) liquid may include sodium bicarbonate, ethanol, and non-ionic surfactant. The blue (acidic) liquid may include citric acid. Upon mixing, the mixture effervesces.
The six references mentioned above show some examples of the wide number of uses that have been proposed for such two part cleaning systems. Often, two part cleaning systems are well suited for certain uses but are completely unsatisfactory for other uses. For example, a two part cleaning system used as a shower gel will usually provide high foaming characteristics such that the two part cleaning system is unacceptable for use in a low foaming liquid detergent intended for automatic clothes washers or dishwashers. Also, high foaming two part cleaners may not provide for optimum cleaning as the mechanical cleaning potential available from the gas generated during the chemical reaction may be lost to foam generation. Low foaming two part cleaners may also have drawbacks. For instance, low foaming compositions may not have a level of surfactant necessary to solubilize all of the components desired in a composition. In particular, certain fragrances may not solubilize in a solution when low levels of surfactants are present. As a result, the air freshening capabilities of the two part cleaner are not optimized.
Various two compartment containers are available for dispensing two part cleaning systems as described above. Some example two compartment containers can be found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,223,942, 5,954,213, and 5,862,949, PCT International Publication Number WO 02/22467 A1 and European Patent Application No. EP 1 153 881 A1. While most two compartment containers can be used to dispense liquid two part cleaning systems, two compartment containers typically do not provide for controlled/even dispensing of both liquids from the two compartments. For instance, one problem with a two-compartment bottle is ensuring that the contents of both compartments run out at the same time. Even dispensing is particularly important with reactive two part chemistry. With two liquids that work together, if one liquid runs out first, then the benefit of having a two part formula is lost. In addition, consumers may react unfavorably to having to waste the portion of the second liquid that remains after the first liquid has been used up.
Known two compartment containers also do not provide for optimum ergonomics. Often, the arrangement of the two compartments and the associated dispensing nozzles makes it difficult to dispense the two liquids to all locations of a surface being cleaned. For example, a user may be required to change the position of the container in the hand when dispensing, and also may be required to change hands when dispensing. These difficulties in dispensing from known two compartment bottles may limit consumer acceptance of the containers.
Thus, there is a continuing need for an improved two part cleaning composition having foaming characteristics that do not limit the beneficial mechanical cleaning action of the chemical reaction of the two part cleaner. Also, there is a continuing need for a two part cleaning composition having an improved balance of foaming characteristics and air freshening characteristics such that the cleaner is advantageous in cleaning the hard surfaces in a kitchen or bathroom (e.g., vanity, toilet, bathtub, countertop, shower, sinks). There is also a need for an improved two compartment container for dispensing such two part cleaning compositions wherein the two components are evenly dispensed from the container. There is yet another need for an improved two compartment container for dispensing such two part cleaning compositions wherein the container provides for ergonomically advantageous dispensing positions.
The foregoing needs are met by a two part cleaning composition including (i) a first aqueous liquid comprising a base selected from the group consisting of carbonates, bicarbonates, sesquicarbonates, and mixtures thereof, and (ii) a second aqueous liquid comprising an acid. At least one of the liquids includes about 0.001 percent by weight to about 4 percent by weight of a surfactant system. At least one of the liquids includes about 0.001 percent by weight to about 3 percent by weight of a foam inhibitor. In another embodiment, at least one of the liquids includes about 0.001 percent by weight to about 1 percent by weight of a silicone foam inhibitor and at least one of the liquids includes about 0.001 percent by weight to about 1 percent by weight of a fragrance comprising at least one oil.
When the first liquid and the second liquid are dispensed on a surface such as a toilet bowl, the first liquid and the second liquid mix thereby initiating a chemical reaction between the base and the acid. Carbon dioxide gas released from the base instantaneously creates a foam in the mixture. The foam inhibitor then quickly breaks the foam, and the remaining gas generated creates a physical/mechanical cleaning action in the mixture (rather than excess foaming) and produces noise when bubbles in the mixture break. The gas generation also promotes to release of fragrance into the air (rather than excess foaming) thereby freshening the air in the vicinity of the surface being cleaned.
The first liquid and the second liquid of the two part cleaner are kept physically separated until use, preferably in a bottle according to the invention. A bottle according to the invention includes a first chamber for the first liquid and a second chamber for the second liquid. The first chamber has a lower section and an upper section. The lower section of the first chamber has an inner mating wall and an exterior wall, and the upper section of the first chamber has an inner wall, an exterior wall and a first exit opening. The second chamber has a lower section and an upper section. The lower section of the second chamber has an inner mating wall and an exterior wall, and the upper section of the second chamber has an inner wall, an exterior wall and a second exit opening. The first chamber and the second chamber are adjoined to each other at the inner mating wall of the first chamber and the inner mating wall of the second chamber thereby defining a front wall, side walls and a rear wall for the bottle.
In one form of a bottle according to the invention, the front wall of the bottle includes at least a portion of the inner wall of the upper section of the first chamber, the rear wall of the bottle includes at least a portion of the inner wall of the upper section of the second chamber, and at least a portion of the inner mating wall of the first chamber and at least a portion of the inner mating wall of the second chamber extend between the side walls of the bottle. In another form of a bottle according to the invention, a first axis of the first exit opening of the first chamber and a second axis of the second exit opening are tilted toward the front wall of the bottle.
These forms of the bottle provide a horizontal orientation of the first chamber and the second chamber that assures that a user""s thumb is always on the front wall of bottle and a user""s fingers are always on the rear wall of the bottle when dispensing the two part cleaner. The horizontal orientation provides an ergonomically advantageous greater range of motion for the user than a vertically oriented bottle provides. It has also been discovered that a user""s thumb provides more pounds per square inch of pressure than do fingers which are spread out over a larger surface area. Thus, by forcing the thumb to always be positioned on the front wall of the bottle according to the invention, adjustments can be made in the bottle design to compensate for the difference in thumb pressure and finger pressure and achieve equal dispensing from the bottle.
For instance, the surface area of the exterior wall of the lower section of the first chamber and the surface area of the exterior wall of the lower section of the second chamber can be varied to encompass a larger or smaller portion the front wall and the rear wall of the bottle and thereby provide for even dispensing. Another adjustment that can be made to compensate for the difference in thumb pressure and finger pressure and achieve equal dispensing is to provide for varying wall thicknesses in the first chamber and the second chamber. Still other modifications include having the first exit opening and the second exit opening have different transverse cross-sectional areas, using a first liquid and a second liquid with different viscosities, and using a first liquid and a second liquid having different specific gravities. Still further modifications include providing fluid paths between the first chamber and the first exit opening and the second chamber and the second exit opening that have varying transverse cross-sectional areas. For example, the fluid paths may taper inward from the first chamber to the first exit opening and from the second chamber to the second exit opening. Alternatively, the fluid paths may taper inward, then expand outward and then taper inward from the first chamber to the first exit opening and from the second chamber to the second exit opening.
It is therefore an advantage of the present invention to provide a two part cleaning composition having foaming characteristics that do not limit the beneficial mechanical cleaning action of the chemical reaction of the components of the two part cleaner.
It is another advantage of the present invention to provide a two part cleaning composition having an improved balance of foaming characteristics and air freshening characteristics such that the cleaner is advantageous in cleaning hard surfaces and freshening the air in the vicinity of the hard surfaces.
It is yet another advantage of the present invention to provide a two compartment container for dispensing two part flowable compositions wherein the two components are evenly dispensed from the container.
It is still another advantage of the present invention to provide a two compartment container for dispensing two part flowable compositions wherein the container provides for ergonomically advantageous dispensing positions.
These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become better understood upon consideration of the following detailed description, drawings, and appended claims.